U ÜBERMENSCH “Superior race.” See Aryan; fascism; Herrenvolk; Hitler, Adolf; National Socialism; Untermenschen See also shido minzoku U-BOATS The usual designation of German submarines, derived from “Unterseeboot.” Most U-boats were actually modified torpedo boats with some submerged capacity There were several models or “Types” that had origins in World War I Type II, IIb, and IIc were all small, prewar U-boats displacing 250–290 tons when surfaced They had crews of 25 men but carried just six torpedoes Additionally handicapped by a short, 18-day cruising range and lacking any deck gun, they were not suitable for ocean cruising and were mainly confined to wartime duty hugging the coast and prowling sea lanes of the North Sea Types VII and VIIb displaced 626 and 753 surfaced tons respectively Each had a crew of 44–50, a lot of men crammed into just 200 feet of boat that was only 20 feet wide Type VII boats carried 11 torpedoes while the Type VIIb mounted 14 Four Type VIIs were fitted out as long-range attack/resupply boats capable of carrying 39 torpedoes each Two were sent into distant Asian waters to hunt, taking advantage of the relative absence of Allied warships Type IX boats were the mainstay of the German submarine fleet, though Type VIIs were its real workhorses Over 250 feet long and hosting a crew of 48, the Type IX was larger but less maneuverable than the Type VII A Type IX displaced 1,053 tons when surfaced and 1,153 tons submerged It carried 22 torpedoes standard complement, fired from four forward and two aft tubes Deck armament varied, but usually comprised 105 mm and 37 mm guns Type IXs had a surfaced range of 8,100 miles and a cruising speed of 18 knots They could remain submerged for 65 miles at a constant 7.7 knots Four prewar,